Wheel mounting assembly



Jan. 13, 1953 LADO 2,625,232

WHEEL. MOUNTING ASSEMBLY Filed May 26, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l /4 LIV/551735;,

Jan. 13, 1953 A. L. LADO 2,625,232

WHEEL MOUNTING ASSEMBLY Filed May 26, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR.

w Wm Patented Jan. 13, 1953 WHEEL MOUNTING ASSEMBLY Anthony L. Lado, Home, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Rome Grader Corporation, Rome, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 26, 1949, Serial No. 95,540

(01. ISO- 79.2)

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to vehicle running gear and more particularly to dirigible running gear such as the steering wheels of a land vehicle.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved running gear which will be very efficient in vehicles carrying large loads.

Another object is to provide an improved running gear which will effectively compensate for heavy side thrusts.

Another object is to provide an improved running gear which will be strong and rugged in construction.

Another object is to provide an improved running gear which will be composed of few and simple parts.

Another object is to provide an improved running gear which will carry severe stresses in a plurality of directions.

Another object is to provide an improved running gear which will permit a plurality of motions to be imparted to parts of the apparatus relative other parts thereof, such motions being imparted independently of each other.

Other objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention will be better understood from the description of one practical embodiment, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of the forward end of a motor propelled grader incorporating an embodiment of the present invention in the running gear associated with its two forward wheels;

Figure 2 is a plan view, on a larger scale, of the forward axle of the vehicle in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the axle and associated parts shown in Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the stub axle brackets shown in the previous figures.

Referring first to Figure 1, the drawings illustrate generally a motor driven grader, of a type now in fairly common use, consisting of a central fore-and-aft frame I supported at its rear by propelling wheels 2 driven by a suitable internal combustion motor or other prime mover, conveniently supported on the rear end of the frame I and within the cowling 3.

The forward end of the frame is carried upon dirigible front wheels 4 and 5 by which the vehicle may be steered, as is conventional in automobile vehicles generally.

Suspended beneath the frame I is a scraper or blade 5 mounted so that it may be swiveled about a vertical axis or tilted about a horizontal axis as by arms and links 1 and 8, which may be 2 actuated from within the cab 9 either manually or mechanically.

It will be evident that when the blade 6 is swung about its vertical axis to a position oblique to the center line of the vehicle and is driven through earth in order to grade the same, heavy side thrusts are imposed upon the wheels 2, 4 and 5, and that these side thrusts are frequently aggravated when the surface upon which the vehicle is traveling is inclined so as to throw the weight of the vehicle toward the side toward which thrust reaction on the blade is acting, this being to the left of Figure 1.

These forces tend to move the vehicle sideways to the left in this figure, and this situation is worse at the front wheels A and 5 than at the rear wheels 2 because the latter, carrying the weight of the power plant almost directly above them, have a much firmer grip upon the supporting ground.

To overcome the side thrust on wheels 4 and 5, it has been proposed to tilt these wheels to keep them at all times substantially vertical, and it is to provide a simple means of so tilting them without in any way interfering with their mo-- tions for steering that the mechanism illustrated has been devised.

In Figure 1 it will be noted that a vehicle is provided with a transverse axle l0 pivoted about a king pin or bolt I l which extends substantially horizontally at the plane of the center line of the frame I of the vehicle.

This bolt or pin is supported in bearings in the forked downwardly extending ends I! and I3 of the frame I and permits the axle [0 to move freely about it, as required by the irregularities in the ground over which the wheels 4 and 5 must pass.

The pin of itself prevents axle H) from swivel-.- ing around a vertical axis, and is further reinforced in this regard by tie rods or struts l4 pivoted to the ends of pin II and attached adjacent the outer ends of axle I0.

Adjacent the ends of axle ID are ball and socket joints, the sockets ii of which are shown as unitary with the axle, the ball portion of the joints [6 being formed integrally with a downwardly extending arm I! of a stub axle bracket which includes, unitarily formed with these parts, an upwardly extending arm l8 terminating in a ball 19, and a stub axle 20. A separate arm 2| has a threaded shank 22 extending through an aperture in the first mentioned unitary part of the bracket and is secured thereto by a nut 23, the arm 2! terminating in a ball 24.

The stub axle is provided with seats and 26 for the reception of the inner races of bearings within the wheels 4 and 5, and terminates in a threaded end 21 for a nut or cap which retains the wheel in place.

The two upper balls l9 are engaged by sockets 28 carried on opposit ends of a tie rod 29, so that the assembly consisting of arms I! and i8, axle l0 and rod 29 forms at all times a parallelogram maintaining both the stub axles always parallel to each other, although they both may be tilted with respect to the axle It.

Means for tilting the axles is shown as comprising a hydraulic cylinder 39 containing a piston 3| carried on a piston rod 32, these parts comprising a hydraulic jack.

The head of the cylinder remote from the piston rod is shown as pivoted at 33 upon lugs 34 formed on top of the axle l9, while the piston rod 32 is shown as pivoted through a ball and socket joint 35 to rod 29.

Admission of fluid under pressure to either end of cylinder 36 is controlled by suitable valves (not shown) in cab 9 so that the operator may easily and readily tilt the wheels to any angle he desires and may hold them in adjusted position merely by closing the valves.

Any suitable type of pump may be provided for supplying fluid under pressure and may be driven by any convenient source of power, as by the propelling engine.

Balls 24 are received in sockets 36 carried by the ends of a link, tie bar, or rod 31, shown as mounted behind the axle Iii and parallel thereto, the arms 2i also being parallel, so that they With axle l0 and rod 3'! form a parallelogram in a generally horizontal plane.

A cylinder 38 is secured to the top of axle It by lugs 39 and pivot it, the cylinder being equipped with a second hydraulic jack including a piston 41 and piston rod 32 which is connected by a ball and socket joint 43 to rod 31, and the piston 4|, like the piston 3!, may be moved in either direction by hydraulic pressure applied to either end of cylinder 38, which pressure is controlled by suitable valves in the cab 8, these parts of course being actuated for purposes of steering the front wheels 4 and 5.

The various ball and socket joints, all being universal joints, permit the operation of either the tilting mechanism or the dirigible mechanism independently of the other, or the operation of both simultaneously without interference, and greatly reduce'the number of parts which would be necessary if pivoted joints were used, reducing wear, points to be lubricated, and chances'of mechanical failure.

While I have shown the illustrated embodiment of my invention in some particularity, obviously many other embodiments, variations, and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in this art, and I do not, therefore, limit myself to the precise details shown and described herein,

but claim as my invention all embodiments, modifications and variations coming Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Running gear comprising a main axle, two stub axles connected thereto by universal joints, mutually perpendicular arms fixed to each. stub axle and each terminating in one element or a universal joint, and two tie rods connecting the corresponding ends of said arms carrying the other elements of said last mentioned universal joints, and independently operable moving means connected to each tie rod.

2. Running gear comprising a main axle, two stub axles connected thereto by universal joints, mutually perpendicular arms fixed to each stub axle and each terminating in one element of a universal joint, and two tie rods connecting the corresponding ends of said arms carrying the other elements of said last mentioned universal joints and independent hydraulic reciprocating means connected with each of said tie rods.

3. Running gear comprising a main axle, two stub axles connected thereto by universal joints, mutually perpendicular arms fixed to each stub axle and each terminating in one element of a universal joint, and two tie rods connecting the corresponding ends of said arms carrying the other elements of said last mentioned universal joints and a hydraulic jack connected with one of said tie rods, a second hydraulic jack connected to th other of said tie rods, and independent control means supplying fluid under pressure to said hydraulic jacks.

4. Running gear comprising a main axle, two stub axles connected thereto by ball and socket joints, mutually perpendicular arms fixed to each stub axle and each terminating in one element of a ball and socket joint, and two tie rods connecting the corresponding ends of said arms carrying the other elements of said last mentioned ball and socket joints and reciprocating means connected with each of said tie rods.

5. A running gear comprising two elements, each consisting of a stub axle and two mutually perpendicular arms, one of the arms having an element of a ball and socket joint at each end, and the other arm one element of a ball and socket joint at one end, a main axle provided adjacent each end with on element of a ball and socket joint engaging the corresponding element on one end of the first mentioned arm, a tie rod having on each end one element of a ball and socket joint engaging the corresponding element on the other end of the first mentioned arm, a second tie rod having on each end an element of a ball and socket joint engaging'the corresponding element on the end of the last mentioned arm, and control means connected to each tie rod.

6. A running gear comprising two elements, each consisting of a stub axle and two mutually perpendicular arms, one of the arms' having'an element of a ball and socket joint ateach end, and the other arm one element of a ball and socket joint at one end, a main axle provided adjacent each end with one element of a ball and socket joint engaging the corresponding ele ment on one end of the first mentioned arm, a tie rod having on each end one element of a bail and socket joint engaging the corresponding element on the other end of the first mentioned arm, a second tie rod having on each end an ele ment of a ball and socket joint engaging the corresponding element on the end of the last mentioned arm, and moving means connected with each tie rod, and wheels carried by the stub axles.

7. A running gear comprising two elements, each consisting of a stub axle and two mutually perpendicular arms, one of the arms having an element of a ball and socket joint at each end, and the other arm one element of a ball and socket joint at one end, a main axle provided adjacent each end with one element of a ball and socket joint engaging the corresponding element on one end of thefirst mentioned arm a tiered REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,927,679 Brick Sept. 19, 1933 2,247,345 Arndt July 1, 1941 

